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Dombrowski In, Cherington Out For Red Sox As Front-Office Turnover Continues

The Red Sox last night named Dave Dombrowski as the team's new VP/Baseball Operations, the "latest in a series of a stunning developments" for the franchise, according to a front-page piece by Nick Cafardo of the BOSTON GLOBE. Current Red Sox GM Ben Cherington declined to stay on with the team "but agreed to assist during the transition" to Dombrowski, who was fired as Tigers President, CEO & GM just two weeks ago. Dombrowski, who worked for Red Sox Owner John Henry when Henry owned the Marlins, "is expected to hire" a GM and will not fill the position himself. A source said that Henry, Chair Tom Werner and Fenway Sports Group President Mike Gordon "met with Dombrowski in Chicago last week." Cafardo notes the move "comes in a tumultuous month for the Red Sox." Manager John Farrell revealed last Friday that he has lymphoma and will miss the rest of the season, while President & CEO Larry Lucchino on Aug. 1 announced that he "is stepping down at the end of the season."The hiring of Dombrowski "might signal a change from the analytical approach taken by Cherington and his staff to one more dependent on the viewpoints of scouts in the field" (BOSTON GLOBE, 8/19). Dombrowski said that he "spoke with two other clubs last week about a job but declined to identify who they were." ESPN BOSTON's Gordon Edes reported unlike his tenure with the Tigers, Dombrowski "will not be involved on the business side with the Red Sox," as Exec VP & COO Sam Kennedy is set to succeed Lucchino. Dombrowski: "I was hoping as late as this afternoon that Ben would stay. I was prepared for him to stay, but I understand his reasons for not staying" (ESPNBOSTON.com, 8/18).

DEAL DETAILS: USA TODAY's Bob Nightengale reports Dombrowski "actually was offered the job Sunday, but the announcement was delayed two days after clearance from the Commissioner's office, since no other candidates, or minorities, were interviewed." Dombrowski "interviewed three hours last Thursday at the MLB owners' quarterly meetings with the Red Sox." He said, "It's amazing how quickly things happened. It was a very quick decision. I did have other options, but this one stood out, to have the opportunity of joining such a storied franchise with its history and proud tradition. There was no sense in waiting.'' Nightengale notes one of the "leading GM candidates" is former Braves GM Frank Wren, who worked with Dombrowski during his stint with the Marlins (USATODAY.com, 8/19). ESPN BOSTON's Edes writes given that the consulting role Jerry Dipoto recently got from the Red Sox "was always intended to be temporary, there is some hope within the organization that Dombrowski will be open to using him in the coming weeks." While Dombrowski and Dipoto "have always had an amicable relationship, it appears unlikely that he would be considered for the permanent GM position" (ESPNBOSTON.com, 8/19). In L.A., Bill Shaikin reports Dombrowski "had been linked to potential front-office openings," most notably the Blue Jays and Mariners (L.A. TIMES, 8/19).

DOMINANT POSITION: In N.Y., Tyler Kepner notes the Red Sox publicly "emphasized Dombrowski’s credentials over any particular failure by Cherington or his staff" for making the move. While Henry "cited his familiarity with Dombrowski, it is significant that Dombrowski had no previous ties to the Red Sox." Cherington replaced former GM Theo Epstein "after spending more than a decade with the franchise." The team's front office under Henry "had operated with a clear sense of pride and self-assurance that it was progressive, principled and bold." Now, Lucchino "is stepping aside, Cherington is gone, the payroll is bloated and the roster is dubious." Reviving the "flawed Red Sox amid the intensity of Boston" might be Dombrowski's "most ambitious project yet" (N.Y. TIMES, 8/19). CSNNE.com's Sean McAdam wrote since Henry took over, the Red Sox "have largely remained in-house for their management moves." It "was a fairly limited circle," but "not anymore." The team last night "hit the reset button in a big way" (CSNNE.com, 8/18). 

RED IN THE FACE: CBSSPORTS.com's Jon Heyman wrote the move "is a shocker" because it seemed "Cherington was safe, but also because Dombrowski -- a baseball traditionalist -- doesn't seem to fit the Bill James Boston Red Sox." He "appears to represent a deep philosophical change." Henry, "who made his early money by knowing the numbers attached to equities, is at heart an analytics guy, too." But "most of all Henry is a guy who hates to lose" (CBSSPORTS.com, 8/18). FOXSPORTS.com's Ken Rosenthal wrote this episode "demonstrates again that baseball is blood sport in Boston." Dombrowski "is one of the best GMs of this generation." But Sox officials "signaled for weeks that Cherington was safe" (FOXSPORTS.com, 8/18). YAHOO SPORTS' Jeff Passan writes what will ultimately "determine whether this marriage works" is "just how meddlesome ownership is minus Lucchino, and whether Dombrowski gets the rope --and money -- to reupholster this patchy Red Sox team" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 8/19).

Cherington agreed to stay on and assist the 
Red Sox during the transition
CHERINGTON NOT ON TOP: In Boston, Alex Speier writes Cherington "had been the bedrock of organizational stability, someone who had risen from a low-level scouting job under Dan Duquette 16 years ago to his current post." Cherington, whose absence "creates a sense of unfamiliarity, even as Dombrowski represents a known quantity," is "one of the most respected executives in the game with a lengthy list of credentials." While Henry in June indicated he thought Cherington would stay in his position for a long time, the Red Sox "seemingly changed course, deciding that after a series of player evaluation misses, they would entrust a new voice with leadership of their baseball decisions in hopes of restoring the standing of the franchise" (BOSTON GLOBE, 8/19).  Cherington "built the Red Sox team" that won the '13 World Series, but the club "finished last in his three other seasons" (AP, 8/18). CSNNE.com's Jimmy Toscano noted Cherington "pieced together a team that just did not have it over the last two seasons." His offseason moves -- signing LF Hanley Ramirez and 3B Pablo Sandoval and trading for P Rick Porcello -- "have all flopped" (CSNNE.com, 8/18). In Boston, Scott Lauber writes Cherington's exit "isn't a shock" but "is still a shame." It became "increasingly difficult, almost impossible, to defend Cherington over the past few months." He "wasn't proactive enough about turning over the roster in the afterglow of the World Series, leaving the Sox woefully short on offense" in '14. Cherington's "strategy last winter of building a super-offense with the twin signings" of Sandoval and Ramirez "at the expense of acquiring a proven No. 1 starter to replace Jon Lester backfired terribly." Cherington's logic "mostly made sense, even if the overwhelming majority of his moves over the past two years didn't pan out" (BOSTON HERALD, 8/19).

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